Film reel



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l INVENTOR VRUSSELL P.. MAY BY lf@ ATTORNEY FILM REEL Filed oct, e, 1951` v R. P. MAY

Oct.' 1, 1935.

R. P. MAY

FILM REEL Filved Oct. 6,- 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l. all l .I lhllllnlllrllnrilirl INVENToR RUSSELL .P. MAY A BY l TToRNl-:Y

Patented Oct. '1, 19.35

UNITED STATES FILM REEL.

Russell l. May, Woodbury, N. J., assigner to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Dela- Application october s, 1931, serial No. l567.177 4 claims.V (ci. 242-74.)

' This invention relates to nlm reels', particularly-the typethereof usedA as take-up reels in motion picture apparatus and the like.

- The purpose of this invention is to provide a 5 reel which can be used on any conventional motion picture machine without auxiliary apparatus or attachments of any kind, and which will grasp, draw in'and .securely hold the nlm without the usual manual operations attendant lupon connec- 10 tion of the illm to the reel.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved reel capable of fitting in conventional mo- Ytion picture machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide '15 such a reel which is capable of cooperating with any standard width nlm without any special attachment on' the end of the illm or any special conilguration of the end thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide 20 s uch a reel which does not damage the lm in any way in grasping it and drawing it to the hub.`

Another object of the invention is to provide such a reel which is capable of grasping, drawing in and securely holding the lm without any me- 25 chanical nlm-catching means at the hub of the f reel which would tend to damage the film.

\ Another vobject of the invention is to provide such a reel which avoids the necessity, common to other reels of this type. fora guide from'the 30 let-offsprocket tothe reel hub. Another object ofthe invention is `to provide such a reel which needs no releasable guide to direct the mm to me hub.

Another object of the invention is to provide 35 such a reelwhich is entirely automatic in its operation and .substantially fool-proof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a cross section of the reel as mounted on a conventionally-illustrated pick-up 4 spindle;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the reel indicating a por- J- tionof the interior construction in dotted lines. The construction of the reel is as follows: p A hub member I, which is preferably a diecast- K 45 ing of aluminum or other appropriate material,

carries one flange' 2 of the reel which is firmly aiilxed to the hub by the rivets 4.

l To the other side of the hub, and also attached to the hub I bythe rivets 4, is a rigid plate 5 which 59- hasa diameter considerably less than the periphery' of the hub member which serves as a core for the reel of film. Inone side of the hub member I is an annular -re`cess 6 extending beyond the v periphery of the member Sand adapted to seat 55 the annulus 'I which is integral with the' member 8 .constituting the other ange of the reel. This `this uistance D, is made very slightly less than the width of the iilm to be wound upon the reel. The distance Dz is made slightly greater than D and is almost but not quite the fullwidth of the lm. 10

The range of movement permitted by the springs 9 is sumciently great so that with a single layer of nlmwound on the hub. the pressure ex erted-by the springs will not be too great.

The springs 9 are maintained in fixed position by 15 the raisedmembers I3 on the member 1, which members. as shown in Fig. 2, are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the length of the spring to allow for movement at the ends of the A spring when compressed.

The hub is provided with'the usual axial bushing I2 having appropriate means to cooperate with the form of drive spindle which is to be used and the drive spindle is, as usual, driven through an appropriate friction means, such as a belt.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Assuming in Fig. 2 that the reel is rotating in a counter-clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow, the illm is permitted to drop against the periphery thereof, `*whence it will naturally fall into a position somewhat as indicated at a falling, due to itsfflexibility, between the flanges of the reel and with its surface not exactly perpendicular to the anges. As the lm ispermitted to escapefrom the machine, and as the portion of the reel from the periphery of the core to the edge of lthe reel is driven ina direction indicated at a higher rate of=speed than l,me travel of the lm as is usual, thefriction between the edges of the film and theiianges will tend to carry the film downward along the general curve of the reel.

This will curve the lm itself longitudinally and than the rate of travel of the lm will cause the film to follow the line of least resistance and move toward the more-slowly-rotating central portion of the reel as indicated at c, andthis will continue until the film has reached a position tangentially to the hub as indicated at d.

Whenthelmreachesthepositiondandhas made a complete turn around. the hub, the iianges will be separated by the width of the lm, and therefore cannot exert further pressure during the remainder of the operation thereby avoiding any unnecessary vfriction between .the film and th anges of the reel.

It will thus beseen that I have provided automatic lm reel which is simple and inexpen-l sive and at the same time attains all of the ob jects set -forth above, wherefore; t

1. A iilm reel comprising a core, a flange rigidly attached thereto, a second ange of smaller diameter than the core member and rigidly attached t'o the opposite sides thereof, a third ange extending beyond the core member and extending underneath said second flange, and springs between said latter twofianges pressing said third ange against said core member, the spacing be-l tween said iirst and third angesat their periph, `eries being at least equal to their spacing adjacent to the core.

2. Themethod of winding lm upon a core member comprising'the step of grasping the film` between the peripheriesoitwo substantially at continuous spool flanges separated a distance slightly less than the width of the hn and which are driven at a. speed greater than the speed of travel of the lm.

3. The method of winding lm upon a core 5 member comprising grasping the film between the peripheries of two substantially at continuous spool anges separated a distance slightly A less than the width -of the lm and which are driven at a. speed greater than the speed of travel 10 of the nlm, and permitting the illm to advance, at less speed than the speed of said anges, between said anges.

-ilanges adjacent to the core.

1 RUSSELL P. mir.v 25 

